It's the first day of the new lunar year, and traditionally folks spend the day visiting friends and family to exchange greetings and family news. On this day, folks also traditionally dress up in new clothes to welcome the new year - some more superstitious ones dress up from head to toe and even inside out in new clothing to welcome a new wave of good luck. Red is popular as an auspicious and festive colour, and my aunt, who runs a lingerie business, does a roaring trade just from red versions during the Chinese New Year prep period!

And to explain, where i live, Chinese New Year is commonly abbreviated to CNY. My daughter is wearing a cheongsam, a traditional Chinese costume. There are also Chinese costumes available for boys, but i chose not to buy one for my son coz while girls can wear cheongsam to formal dinners, boys just look silly in costume outside of Chinese New Year season!